big cheese

Etymology

From big + cheese (“wealth, fame, importance”).

Earliest use to mean importance:

• 1910, O. Henry, Unprofessional Servant:

  Del had crawled from some Tenth Avenue basement like a lean rat and had bitten his way into the Big Cheese... He had danced his way into fame in sixteen minutes.

Noun

big cheese (plural big cheeses)

1. (idiomatic) A very important figure, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.

   He'll be meeting with the big cheese first thing tomorrow, to present his proposal.

   • 1980, Robert Stack as Rex Kramer, Airplane!, written by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker & Jerry Zucker:

     I know. But it's his ship now, his command; he's in charge, he's the boss, the head man, the top dog, the big cheese, the head honcho, number one...

   • 1995, Rich Mendoza (music), “Where The Money Goes”, in Money Rock‎, performed by Schoolhouse Rock!/Jack Sheldon:

     If not for all these bills and taxes, our income would more than suffice. I feel like a real big cheese, until everybody takes a slice!